


On Weaknesses

by LiterallyThePresident



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: Just threats, no actual pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 18:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13576632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiterallyThePresident/pseuds/LiterallyThePresident
Summary: “Well, I do hope you’ll remember this conversation the next time you feel the need to threaten me.” Break leaned in close, his breath ghosting across Vincent’s ear with no visible reaction.“After all, we both have people who can easily be taken from us.”





	On Weaknesses

Xerxes Break _hated_ Vincent Nightray.

The damnable sewer rat had been a thorn in his side from day one, and his hatred had only increased after the bastard poisoned Sharon. He was a terrible nuisance, a danger to everyone, and just an irritating guy, but Break had come up with a theory. A possible weakness to exploit, one that could destroy the minute advantage Vincent had over him, as well as provide him with a little entertainment in the process. Getting Vincent to meet him for cards was simple, all he had to do was drop Gilbert’s name. Sometimes predictable people could be fun, after all.

At the moment, Gilbert was with Sharon in the gardens below, the two of them chatting amicably. Break had quickly grown bored of watching them as the game progessed, but he noticed how often Vincent’s eyes flickered to the large window. It made their card game a bit annoying, but provided the perfect opportunity to test his theory.

“Gilbert looks nice today, doesn’t he?” Break started casually, the lollipop in his mouth concealing his smirk as Vincent went still. It wasn’t a lie. Gilbert had elected a more casual look for the early summer warmth, a simple white shirt and a hair ribbon went a long way.

“Yes.” Vincent said cautiously, flipping a card down with a carefully neutral expression, “He does.”

“It’s nice to see him without that silly hat.” Break continued, taking a sip of his drink and wrinkling his nose. Echo truly made the worst tea, “It makes him look so much more approachable.”

“Gil loves that hat.” Vincent said a little defensively, so obviously trying not to show any of his irritation, “I think it’s good that he has something nice. Miss Vessalius made a good choice in gifting it to him.”

“Oh, it is.” Break shrugged, “I simply think he looks much better without it. In fact there’s a lot of his clothing he’d look better without.” He grinned as Vincent made a wordless sound of anger, fist clenching in the tablecloth for a second before he forced it to unfurl.

“I would appreciate you not talking about my brother in such a manner. It is inappropriate.” he said, and the edge in his voice might have scared him if he wasn’t Xerxes Break. As it was, he only smiled, crunching down on his lollipop.

“Surely you’re used to it?” he said with a light giggled, “He’s such an attractive man, I’m sure you’ve had to beat hundreds of suitors back with a stick. I’ve been thinking lately that I should snatch him up quick before someone else does.” Vincent set his cup down hard, uncaring of the tea he sloshed everywhere.

“What are you hoping to accomplish here?” he snapped, iron control slipping, “You aren’t actually interested in Gil. Do you hope to use him to blackmail me? You looked at me like I was the scum of the Earth when I used Miss Rainsworth against you, but now you’re doing the exact same thing. If you are only here to threaten my brother and I, kindly go and be a hypocrite elsewhere.”

“Rest assured that if I ever decide to kidnap Gilbert as a hostage, I’d catch hell from Oz.” Break narrowed his eyes playfully, “Especially if I pulled a dirty move like you and killed your darling brother anyway.”

“If you _ever_ lay a hand on him-“

“I lay hands on him every day.” Break grinned, watching Vincent’s eye twitch with glee, “Oh relax, nothing like that. Yet.” he winked, “Casual touches, just like everyone else. Enough that he’d think nothing of it if I got close with bad intentions one day. Those big, trusting gold eyes, no one would be able to stop me until it was too late.” Gilbert’s eyes were neither big nor trusting, but Vincent’s vision of Gilbert varied wildly from everyone else’s. It showed in the way Vincent exploded.

“Shut up!” he snapped, the cup shattering in his hand, “Shut your fucking mouth!” Break’s smile was venomous. Triumphant. Vincent was breathing hard, face twisted in a snarl, looking seconds away from lunging over the table.

“Such rage.” Break hummed, taking another sip of horribly bitter tea, “Careful. Letting your anger get the better of you tends to get the people you love hurt.”

“You won’t kill Gil.” Vincent said, abandoning all attempts at control as his tea dripped onto the floor, “Everyone loves him. Oz would destroy you, Elliot would hunt you down, and your precious Miss Rainsworth would _never_ forgive you.”

“Are you scared?” Break asked slyly, easily shrugging the threats aside, “Do you feel threatened? That I have access to your brother every day? That he trusts me more than you? That no matter how much we may quarrel, still he prefers my company to yours?” Vincent froze at that, the blood and tea dripping to the floor the only sound in the room. He got up suddenly, shoving away from the table and moving to the window, pressing his forehead to the cool glass. Break had no doubt his wide eyes were frantically locked onto Gilbert. Such pathetic dependency, Break almost pitied the rat. Almost.

“As if.” he muttered, voice tight, “As if Gil prefers you over me. That’s _ridiculous_. As if I’d let you-“ He cut himself off with a growl, looking like he wanted nothing more than Break’s head on a pike.

“Hm?” Break smiled, “Let me? I don’t answer to you. Gilbert and I have that in common. We both do what we want.”

“If Gil is what you want, I’ll kill you with my own hands.” Vincent’s voice was sharp and cold, “Gil is far too good for you. He’s too good for anyone.”

“Except you?” Break guessed, leaning back in his seat.

“No.” Vincent hunched in on himself, staring down at Gilbert rather than at Break, “Gil is perfect. No one is worthy of him. Not even me.”

“So no one deserves him, hm?” Break smiled an unkind smile, “That’s very selfish of you, Vincent Nightray. You’d have him be all alone? No wonder he likes Oz better.” Vincent’s shoulders tensed again at that, and Break went in for the kill, “Oh? Did I hit a sensitive subject? Ah, that’s right. Oz has always been Gilbert’s top priority, hasn’t he? You’ve always come second, even in those ten years Oz was missing. And you always will. What was it like? Searching desperately for your missing brother only to find him amnesiac and distant, dedicating his life to someone else? Ah! What a tragic story!”

“What do you want from me, Hatter?” Vincent asked, shoulders slumping as the edge left his voice. He suddenly sounded tired. Resigned, “You know Gil is my weakness, so what? Everyone knows that. What do you hope to gain from this conversation?”

“Hm? Oh, I don’t want anything right now.” Break laughed lightly, like they were truly friends just joking over tea, “I just really hate you. Nothing more.” Vincent fell silent, head bowed. Break found he liked the little sewer rat much better when he was quiet.

“Well, I should get going.” he stood and stretched, “I’m meeting Gil, Alice, and Oz for tea. Shall I give him your love?” Vincent was silent, hiding his eyes behind that stupid blond hair. In the gardens below, Break saw Gilbert glance up at them, blinking in confusion at whatever he saw on Vincent’s face before evidently deciding he didn’t want to know and turning back to Sharon. Break felt lighter than he had earlier, practically gleeful in the face of Vincent’s misery. Perhaps this was how Vincent felt when he won at chess, “Well, I do hope you’ll remember this conversation the next time you feel the need to threaten me.” He leaned in close, his breath ghosting across Vincent’s ear with no visible reaction.

“After all, we both have people who can easily be taken from us.” he murmured softly, allowing a thread of dangerous intent to weave into his voice before reverting back to his cheery self, “And on that note, enjoy the rest of your day!”

Vincent didn’t answer as he left. The only sound that followed Break out the door was the blood still dripping from his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> The relationship between the Nightray brothers is always interesting, even if the incest angle is gross to me. I also enjoy Break as a character.


End file.
